Research and Analytics

Latest Public Library Statistics Released

Norfolk and Norwich Millennium library is the UK's most visited library, according to the latest annual survey from the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA).

The Norwich-based library had 1,496,186 visitors in 2010–11, issuing 1,181,661 books and other items over twelve months. The next most visited library, Birmingham Central Library, attracted 1,197,350 visitors over the same period.

The CIPFA survey also shows that volunteering – central to the coalition Government’s vision for the ‘Big Society’ – has risen in public libraries in the past year. The total number of volunteers in UK libraries rose by 22.3 per cent to 21,462 people. Over the same period, the number of library staff dropped by 4.3 per cent to 23,681 (FTE).

The full press release and tables can be accessed in the related files section of this page.